Residents, farmers debate air cannons; board says hands tied

By NANCY TANKERTimes-News Staff Writer

Published: Monday, August 5, 2013 at 8:54 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, August 5, 2013 at 8:54 p.m.

More than a half-dozen upset neighbors of apple farms spoke out Monday against the use of air cannons to scare away birds that farmers say are hurting their crops at a vulnerable time in the growing season.

During a Henderson County Board of Commissioners meeting, the farms' neighbors talked about losing sleep, increased emotional and physical health problems, children afraid to go outside, and pets upset by the cannon noises, which according to many accounts sound anywhere from every 20 seconds to every few minutes from early morning to dusk.

Neighbors urged commissioners to “do something” and “please help,” saying peace of mind on their rural land has been decimated by the cannons.

After the public comments, County Attorney Russell Burrell told the commissioners they had no authority to regulate the use of the cannons.

“Your power is extensively, extensively limited” when it comes to regulating the noise coming from equipment “used for bona-fide agricultural purposes,” he said. There were a few areas where commissioners could step in, but the use of air cannons was not one.

With that, Chairman Charlie Messer said, “Our hands are tied,” and the board took no action. Messer urged neighbors to view the problem as “temporary,” since the cannons will be turned off after apple picking season ends.

But for some varieties, like Pink Lady, the harvest season might fall in early November, said county Extension Director Marvin Owings. He spoke during the meeting and reminded commissioners that birds can “decimate” crops, especially this time of year, when apples are mature or nearing maturity, a phase called “sunburnt,” when birds find the apples particularly attractive.

He described one Dana-based apple farm, owned by Wayne Pace, as “state of the art” and added that air cannons are “a good management practice we recommend in particular to stop starlings” from ruining a valuable crop.

Pace grows mainly Pink Ladies, he said, which can yield $60 a bushel.

Apple farmer Sonya Hollingsworth said birds have been a big problem this year and she's turned to air cannons. She held up bags of apples heavily damaged by the birds pecking at them.

“Each apple that's pecked is a straight loss,” she said. “We are just trying to have the best crop we can, especially after last year.”

At her farm, J.H. Stepp Farm's Hillcrest Orchards, she also hears the cannon sounds all day, she said, but “you get used to it.” Hollingsworth wanted her neighbors to understand she's trying to protect a 100-year-old farm that has been her family's livelihood since 1967.

She told the audience of about 50 people that her farm had a 90-percent loss last year due to weather, and that 90 to 90 percent of her orchard's apples are purchased by people from outside the county. Those people come to buy apples and stay to shop, eat at area restaurants and sleep in area hotels, all of which contribute to the local economy.

“I wasn't going to weigh in on this, but I felt I should,” he said. “Sometimes growers have to resort to technology to protect their crops that they don't want to resort to. …The last thing they want to do is create conflict with their neighbors, but with farming sometimes there are odors and noises.”

He pointed out that at least one residential neighborhood near the Stepp property was about 12 years old, compared to the Stepp property at about 100 years old. Perhaps local agricultural organizations should do more to educate the community about what it means to live adjacent to farmland, he said.

That didn't sit well with John O'Malley, whose property is next to the Stepp orchard. He said he knows exactly what it's like to live next to an apple orchard and has had no problem until the air cannons recently started blasting into his solitude.

“I hear noise from tractors and other equipment and that's fine,” he said. “Tractor sounds are almost comforting. They spray for insects and that's fine, too. It's understandable,” as part of normal apple farming. The cannons are not.

“Six years ago I found a beautiful place (to live) for all seasons, until about a month ago,” when the cannons started firing from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., about every two minutes, he said. Now, “I would like to stay outside,” but it's too unpleasant.

“I have been a first responder my whole life,” he added. “These explosions are causing me to jump and jerk in a flight-or-fight reaction” that puts him on edge day after day.

He said he was disappointed in the board's decision not to regulate the cannons. Farmers can make as much noise as they want to, disturbing their neighbors' peace and tranquility, “and there's nothing the board can do about it?” he asked.

Other neighbors at the meeting had similar complaints. Earl McIntyre told the board he visited Hendersonville to visit his daughter and found a “quiet and peaceful community, especially the Edneyville area,” including the apple farms.

The couple moved to Edneyville, near the Stepp Orchards, and were thrilled when visiting friends and family would comment on the peacefulness of their new home. Now McIntyre has air cannons going off nearby day and night, he said.

A medical problem forces him to go to bed at any given time during the day, as he becomes overwhelmed with fatigue from time to time. “When I am at the point to start to go to fall asleep, ‘bang,' an air cannon, used by Stepp Farms, makes a loud bang noise, startling me and waking me up. It now takes a long time for me to finally get to sleep.”

Kerri Smith, who lives 100 feet from the Pace property, said the first time her daughter heard the cannon go off she was standing outside and “she hit the ground.” All three of Smith's daughters are now scared to play outside, she said.

“It's horrible,” she added. “We're hearing the cannons about every 20 seconds.”

After the meeting Smith declared, “This is not over. I am disgusted. They say the Stepp farm has been there for 100 years, but this (the cannon noise) has only been going on for two years. I've lived her for four. I wish one of the commissioners would come to my house for the day to experience it.”

After the meeting, O'Malley offered a few suggestions for a resolution.

“Maybe they (the farmers) need to try different ways to face the cannons. Maybe we need to talk about bringing in birds of prey” to help control the smaller-bird population such as crows and starlings. He and a fellow neighbor, Eric Paulsen, mentioned that prior to the cannons being installed, the men had noticed birds of prey in the area, including peregrine falcons, red tail hawks and golden hawks.

Smaller birds “hear their call as they approach the area and the birds scatter and they don't just fly to the woods, they go far away,” O'Malley said. When he lived in Dallas and Ft. Worth, those communities had a bird problem, so they brought in birds of prey, “which solved the problem. It can work.”

Paulsen added he heard tales of a farmer shooting a starlet or crow and hanging it from a tree, which he was told worked to scare away other birds.

O'Malley urged the farmers and neighbors to “come to the table” to talk about possible solutions.

“We appreciate our area apple growers,” he said. “We know what they mean to our local economy. We just want to be able to have peace and quiet.”

<p>More than a half-dozen upset neighbors of apple farms spoke out Monday against the use of air cannons to scare away birds that farmers say are hurting their crops at a vulnerable time in the growing season.</p><p>During a Henderson County Board of Commissioners meeting, the farms' neighbors talked about losing sleep, increased emotional and physical health problems, children afraid to go outside, and pets upset by the cannon noises, which according to many accounts sound anywhere from every 20 seconds to every few minutes from early morning to dusk. </p><p>Neighbors urged commissioners to “do something” and “please help,” saying peace of mind on their rural land has been decimated by the cannons. </p><p>After the public comments, County Attorney Russell Burrell told the commissioners they had no authority to regulate the use of the cannons.</p><p>“Your power is extensively, extensively limited” when it comes to regulating the noise coming from equipment “used for bona-fide agricultural purposes,” he said. There were a few areas where commissioners could step in, but the use of air cannons was not one.</p><p>With that, Chairman Charlie Messer said, “Our hands are tied,” and the board took no action. Messer urged neighbors to view the problem as “temporary,” since the cannons will be turned off after apple picking season ends. </p><p>But for some varieties, like Pink Lady, the harvest season might fall in early November, said county Extension Director Marvin Owings. He spoke during the meeting and reminded commissioners that birds can “decimate” crops, especially this time of year, when apples are mature or nearing maturity, a phase called “sunburnt,” when birds find the apples particularly attractive. </p><p>He described one Dana-based apple farm, owned by Wayne Pace, as “state of the art” and added that air cannons are “a good management practice we recommend in particular to stop starlings” from ruining a valuable crop.</p><p>Pace grows mainly Pink Ladies, he said, which can yield $60 a bushel. </p><p>Apple farmer Sonya Hollingsworth said birds have been a big problem this year and she's turned to air cannons. She held up bags of apples heavily damaged by the birds pecking at them. </p><p>“Each apple that's pecked is a straight loss,” she said. “We are just trying to have the best crop we can, especially after last year.”</p><p>At her farm, J.H. Stepp Farm's Hillcrest Orchards, she also hears the cannon sounds all day, she said, but “you get used to it.” Hollingsworth wanted her neighbors to understand she's trying to protect a 100-year-old farm that has been her family's livelihood since 1967. </p><p>She told the audience of about 50 people that her farm had a 90-percent loss last year due to weather, and that 90 to 90 percent of her orchard's apples are purchased by people from outside the county. Those people come to buy apples and stay to shop, eat at area restaurants and sleep in area hotels, all of which contribute to the local economy. </p><p>Mark Williams, executive director of Agribusiness Henderson County, also chimed in. </p><p>“I wasn't going to weigh in on this, but I felt I should,” he said. “Sometimes growers have to resort to technology to protect their crops that they don't want to resort to. …The last thing they want to do is create conflict with their neighbors, but with farming sometimes there are odors and noises.”</p><p>He pointed out that at least one residential neighborhood near the Stepp property was about 12 years old, compared to the Stepp property at about 100 years old. Perhaps local agricultural organizations should do more to educate the community about what it means to live adjacent to farmland, he said. </p><p>That didn't sit well with John O'Malley, whose property is next to the Stepp orchard. He said he knows exactly what it's like to live next to an apple orchard and has had no problem until the air cannons recently started blasting into his solitude.</p><p>“I hear noise from tractors and other equipment and that's fine,” he said. “Tractor sounds are almost comforting. They spray for insects and that's fine, too. It's understandable,” as part of normal apple farming. The cannons are not.</p><p>“Six years ago I found a beautiful place (to live) for all seasons, until about a month ago,” when the cannons started firing from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., about every two minutes, he said. Now, “I would like to stay outside,” but it's too unpleasant. </p><p>“I have been a first responder my whole life,” he added. “These explosions are causing me to jump and jerk in a flight-or-fight reaction” that puts him on edge day after day. </p><p>He said he was disappointed in the board's decision not to regulate the cannons. Farmers can make as much noise as they want to, disturbing their neighbors' peace and tranquility, “and there's nothing the board can do about it?” he asked. </p><p>Other neighbors at the meeting had similar complaints. Earl McIntyre told the board he visited Hendersonville to visit his daughter and found a “quiet and peaceful community, especially the Edneyville area,” including the apple farms.</p><p>The couple moved to Edneyville, near the Stepp Orchards, and were thrilled when visiting friends and family would comment on the peacefulness of their new home. Now McIntyre has air cannons going off nearby day and night, he said. </p><p>A medical problem forces him to go to bed at any given time during the day, as he becomes overwhelmed with fatigue from time to time. “When I am at the point to start to go to fall asleep, 'bang,' an air cannon, used by Stepp Farms, makes a loud bang noise, startling me and waking me up. It now takes a long time for me to finally get to sleep.”</p><p>Kerri Smith, who lives 100 feet from the Pace property, said the first time her daughter heard the cannon go off she was standing outside and “she hit the ground.” All three of Smith's daughters are now scared to play outside, she said.</p><p>“It's horrible,” she added. “We're hearing the cannons about every 20 seconds.” </p><p>After the meeting Smith declared, “This is not over. I am disgusted. They say the Stepp farm has been there for 100 years, but this (the cannon noise) has only been going on for two years. I've lived her for four. I wish one of the commissioners would come to my house for the day to experience it.”</p><p>After the meeting, O'Malley offered a few suggestions for a resolution. </p><p>“Maybe they (the farmers) need to try different ways to face the cannons. Maybe we need to talk about bringing in birds of prey” to help control the smaller-bird population such as crows and starlings. He and a fellow neighbor, Eric Paulsen, mentioned that prior to the cannons being installed, the men had noticed birds of prey in the area, including peregrine falcons, red tail hawks and golden hawks. </p><p>Smaller birds “hear their call as they approach the area and the birds scatter and they don't just fly to the woods, they go far away,” O'Malley said. When he lived in Dallas and Ft. Worth, those communities had a bird problem, so they brought in birds of prey, “which solved the problem. It can work.”</p><p>Paulsen added he heard tales of a farmer shooting a starlet or crow and hanging it from a tree, which he was told worked to scare away other birds.</p><p>O'Malley urged the farmers and neighbors to “come to the table” to talk about possible solutions. </p><p>“We appreciate our area apple growers,” he said. “We know what they mean to our local economy. We just want to be able to have peace and quiet.”</p><p>Reach Tanker at 828-694-7871 or nancy.tanker@blueridgenow.com.</p>